


Taking Chances to Feel Again

by DesdemonaWrath



Category: RWBY
Genre: Babies, F/M, Lovely stuff, angsty, oc child - Freeform, sable xiao long, this will be fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 09:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesdemonaWrath/pseuds/DesdemonaWrath
Summary: Nearly five years, a familiar face shows up at her door. But, there is no love and bad blood.





	Taking Chances to Feel Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shipperoftrashyships](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipperoftrashyships/gifts).



> So, yay. Not dead. Still writing. Uh. Enjoy this fever dream of an idea.

She wasn't sure what she expected when the doorbell rang. Maybe her father, loaded down groceries and forgotten keys. Her sister was another option, coming home after another adventure she herself had given up when she moved back home. A friend come to visit, her uncle popping by, and other countless people could be waiting on the other side of her front door. However, the one thing she hadn't been expecting was a pair of dark eyes and a smirk that still somehow made her heart flutter.

“We aren't buying,” she glared at him as she spat the venomous words. His foot caught the door as she went to close it. Fresh cuts. Healing scars. A tired face that he hid with a confident expression. Dangerous. Disastrous. “Go away, Mercury.”

“Nice to see you, too, Blondie. Do you know how hard you are to track down?”

“Apparently not hard enough. What do you want?”

He shrugged, foot still lodged in place, “I was in the neighborhood. And I was hoping you had a couch I could crash on for the night. You know, for old time's sake.”

Yang shook her head, “I've got nothing for you here. Go. You can't be here.” She pushed hard on the door in vain.

“Come on. I'll be gone before you wake up in the morning.”

“Yeah. You are really good at that, if I remember right.”

“You can't still be mad about that,” he said with an attempted disarming tone. “We were kids.”

Fire came to her eyes as she dropped her voice, “Twenty-four. You were twenty-four. Not a kid.” He huffed, a strand of hair fluttering up then falling in the same spot. She felt the overwhelming need to slap the look of indifference off his face. “Move your foot or you'll lose it. Again.”

“I don't have another place to go.”

“There's an inn six miles up the road.”

“I don't have a way to get there.”

“You can walk. Pretty sure your legs won't get tired.”

“Look, I need you to do this favor for me.” Inky black stared back at her. “I've got a lot of bad people after me. One night and you'll never-”

“Mommy?” a soft voice called from down the hall.

Yang tensed as she whispered harshly, “No. You need to leave.”

“Mommy, is that Papa?”

Mercury stared at the blonde, the first real look of surprise on his face. He matched her tone, “Who is that? You have a kid?”

“Goodbye, Mercury,” she frowned, pushing him back in his stunned state to shut the door. It slammed on his confused expression. When she turned, the look was mirrored in miniature form. She shook her head before moving to scoop her up. “No, baby. They were just looking for someone who doesn't live here.”

“Oh,” came the response. The young girl laid her head against Yang's chest. “That's a silly thing to do.”

The woman let out a soft amused noise, “Yes, baby. Yes it is.” She moved to walk up the hallway but stopped dead at the sound of banging from behind her. She felt dread creep into her senses and let her daughter down. “Sable. Go to your room, okay? Go play. I'll come get you in a minute.”

The four year old looked terrified at the suggestion, “But, Mommy-”

“Now.” The finger pointing in the direction of the child's bedroom signaled the finality of the decision and she scurried off. Yang didn't move until she heard the audible click of the door shutting. Anger etched in her face, she returned to the door and yanked it open. “Mercury. Go away.”

“No.” When he tried to push past her, she shoved him back and stepped out to close the door behind her. “Yang, when did you have a kid?”

She shrugged, “A few years ago. Not that it's your business.”

“I'm pretty sure it is my business. Whose is she?”

“Mine.”

The look of irritation did nothing to dissuade him. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And the answer doesn't change. She's mine. I'm just fine raising her on my own.”

Mercury stepped forward, effectively pinning her back against the door, “Is she mine? Just tell me that.”

Yang stared at him for what felt like an eternity, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Finally, she held up one finger, “One night. Then I never see you again. Ever.”

“Fine. But we are going to talk first.”

She rolled her eyes and turned the door knob. Silence invaded the rest of the house as she let him in. Carelessly, she pointed to a couch. “Sit down. Shut up. And don’t move. I have to make dinner.”

He thought better about the snarky comment as she didn't spare him another thought and marched into the open kitchen.

It was awkward, watching her work from so far away. Older, stronger, more weathered hands worked on skillfully slicing and dicing vegetables with deep malice. The long blonde hair shone just as brightly, but was wrapped up over itself to keep it from flowing. Early signs of wrinkles - ones he knew but didn't expect - hung at the corners of her darker eyes and pursed lips. That girl he had helped manipulate years ago was gone.

It wasn't long before the door swung open again, letting in a boisterous blond man laden with bags.

“Yang? Sable? Where are my…” Blue eyes focused on Mercury as the question died. Nothing was said from the kitchen in his defense. “Who are you?”

He couldn't help but swallow hard as he heard a door click and a cry of ‘Papa! Papa!’ up the hall. The dark haired child ran straight to the man who dropped the groceries to pick her up. His eyes strayed from what could only be Yang’s father to the little girl that the older man was currently fawning over. He kissed her face countlessly and told her how much he missed her. It didn’t take long before the girl looked at Mercury, however. And the look was one he had seen many times before on her mother’s face: irritation and distrust. The face quickly turned to her grandfather which caused deadly blue eyes back to him.

“Go play, Baby. I’ll come get you when dinner is ready, okay?” The girl hopped down and didn’t give Mercury as second thought as she took off towards her room. There was a moment where awkward silence settled in. It passed quite suddenly, however, when Taiyang left the room with the groceries. He listened to the hushed lecture and Yang’s frustrated words but didn’t move.

“I know, I know,” whispered Yang. “He just wouldn’t leave.”

Tai frowned, “That’s when you lock the door and ignore him.”

The tip of the knife found the cutting board as red eyes found an angry face. “Gee, you’re right. I should have let him beat down the door and further terrify my daughter. Great thinking.”

There was no reply from the older man and soon the sounds of preparation filled the tense air again. Cabinets opened and closed as stuff was put away. Mercury hardly breathed for fear they would hear him and turn their aggression to him.

Thoughts turned to the child up the hall. Dark eyes-- a mulberry wine. Dark silver hair. A bit tall for her age. She was adorable in her cream jumper. Already, he knew that leaving would break his heart even if he never got to know her. He hadn't seen her for longer than a few minutes but he wanted to ask a million questions. Simple kid things, like her favorite color or fairy tale. It didn't matter a few hours ago but it was suddenly all he could think about.

Yang could easily keep her from him; he silently prayed she wouldn't.

The woman in question stormed out of the kitchen, murder in her eyes. She glared and stopped in front of him. Arms crossed her chest, only to accentuate her hostility. “Wash up. Sit down at the table. Say absolutely nothing unless you are spoken to. Break one of those, you get nothing but the sight of the door in your face. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

He nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the angry posturing, “Yeah. Crystal.”

She nodded before moving off, arms dropping to her sides as she schooled the vicious expression into a tender look as she made her way down the hall. Mercury didn't push his luck and obeyed the demands expected of him. Yang’s father was already moving to set the table. The intruder went to the sink and washed his hands as requested. He moved to the seat along a side, rather than taking the head of the table awkwardly.

Taiyang glared at him; he pointedly ignored him.

It didn’t take long before she returned with the small child. The girl chattered on at her mother about something as Yang got her situated across from Mercury. Taiyang chose one side of the table while his daughter got a beer for her and lukewarm tap water for him. She dropped it in front of him like it was an inconvenience. The older man worked on getting the little girl's plate ready before his own. Yang yanked the plate from in front of Mercury and silently dropped food on it. It was placed just as carelessly as the water. She took on her own before sitting, her attention turning to her daughter.

“How was your day, my baby dragon?” Taiyang asked, watching her with absolutely adorably.

She prattled on about her day and he simply looked enthralled. Mercury listened to the ramblings of what toys the girl played with, what she had for lunch, and what kind of pictures she had colored for the day with a sudden, overwhelming pang of jealousy.

Too soon, the food was gone and all safety of Sable's presence was taken away.

“Okay, baby. Time for shower and bed. Papa will read you a story.” Tai picked up the child and shot a look over his shoulder at Mercury. Without another word to either of them, he carried her off. He sighed heavily at the sound of the retreat. The time for niceties was suddenly over.


End file.
